


your ivy grows, and now i'm covered in you

by chaoticisms



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mel most definitely thinks Phil's an LMD for half of this, proposal fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28067214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticisms/pseuds/chaoticisms
Summary: She’s saying yes because it’s them - because she’s lived without him. She can live without him, but she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t ever want to.
Relationships: Phil Coulson & Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	your ivy grows, and now i'm covered in you

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from “Ivy” by Taylor Swift

There isn’t getting down on one knee, to Phil’s credit, he knows her better than that. She doesn’t need a ring, he just wants to remind her he’s not running - or dying (again) - this time. He’s sticking around for however long she’ll have him. 

Instead he slips it in between his routine sips of coffee saying ‘wanna get married?’ in such a conversational tone that if she wasn’t paying attention, she probably would’ve missed it. Melinda waits for him to stutter, laugh, or even just take it back, but he just nonchalantly hands her a Stark Enterprise-branded mug filled with a blend of her special jasmine and green tea.

Melinda notices the stillness of the Bus. She doesn’t hear a blaring alarm clock and a thud from Daisy’s room followed by groaning as she rolls out of bed. The usual lingering smell of the English breakfast blend Jemma brews is absent and there aren’t leftover crumbs from Fitz’s _burnt_ toast he dips in his coffee. Mack’s booming, guttural laugh doesn’t fill the hallway followed by Elena’s light smack on his arm. _Is this a more fucked up, improved version of the Framework? Their routine never strays, so how did the person who built this reality get it so wrong?_

"Just thought I'd ask." He shrugs when he says it. _Shrugs._ Melinda’s eyes search for the cupboard by the refrigerator with the emergency ICER, calculating how to cross the kitchen without startling this LMD version of Phil. Because there is absolutely no other explanation It just doesn't make sense. 

"Just thought you’d ask?" She finally retorts. He sounds like Phil. Acts like Phil. Moves like Phil. Even nails the detail of his favorite Captain America socks, but something’s off. There’s always something off. She just has to find it. _Definitely an LMD._

He throws her a snark smile like it's a joke he's in on that no one else understands. "How would you like me to do it, Mel? There something specific you’d like?"

"I..." She trails off. She has no answer for him. It's not that she's never thought about it, she has, but she always figured it was something she would say yes to for him. But, this feels too good to be true. She just doesn't hear or see Daisy anywhere. She would think Daisy would at least barrel towards them before wrapping them both in a hug and subjecting them to temporary hearing loss. Or at least knock something over as she anxiously waits for Melinda to reply and scream "Just say yes!" Daisy would be here. Further proving that this Phil is an LMD or an imposter. Or worse. 

She doesn't even want to go there.

She’s gotten married before, had the extravagant proposal, and eloped. She wouldn’t do it again for anyone except him. He knows that. It would be good for them. "Seriously?"

"What do you say? Wanna officially get stuck with me forever?" 

"Phil."

Phil comes around from behind the stove, presses her into the counter, inches from her. Her eyes leave the cupboard as she feels his breath linger like a tattoo kiss on her neck. _So, not an LMD._ That smile never leaves his face, and damn if it isn't contagious. "Marry me?"

"Okay." She replies like she's giving in - like it's forced, but really, this is why she's saying yes. This, the family they built, all of this, proposing on a random Sunday over breakfast, with absolutely no precursor. She’s saying yes because it’s them. Because she’s lived without him. She can live without him, but she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t ever want to. 

They don’t need formalities or big declarations, it’s always been like that. So, she's saying yes. "If it’s something that you want," and she's got this stupid grin on her face and she just wishes he would kiss her, just so that she could feel like less of an idiot.

"You're serious now? No second thoughts?" He's purposely stalling; she hates him a little bit for it.

“Shut up, Phil." Melinda's laughing as he kisses her, long and deliberate and somehow everything feels perfect. Almost. 

As if on cue, she hears Daisy scream “SHE SAID YES!” behind them followed by a familiar thud, and five pairs of footsteps storming towards the kitchen. 

“You owe me 20 bucks, Turbo!” Mack yells. 

“If May finds out you all had a bet going, she’ll drop-kick you into next week.” Elena projects just loud enough so Melinda could hear it, and she smiles. _Oh, I most definitely will._

She doesn’t need a ring or a piece of paper; she’s happy with the little space they’ve carved out for their lives, but Phil always finds a way to remind her it’s okay to want things, too. So, her smile lingers as she waits to be enveloped by people that became her family. _Perfect._


End file.
